Specific auxin and medium combinations alter Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth

Auxin-inducible degradation is an increasingly popular protein-targeting reverse genetics approach. Use of this method has revolutionized the types of questions cell and molecular biologists can answer, however, a growing number of studies point to auxin alone impacting different cellular phenotypes. This study investigated the impact of different medium and auxin combinations on <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> growth. We observed that both natural and synthetic auxin (Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) respectively) impaired budding yeast growth in nutrient minimal but not nutrient rich media. This finding was true across different yeast strains with or without an intact auxin-inducible degradation system. Ultimately, this study highlights the need for proper controls when using auxin-inducible degradation.